The Ethics and Lessons of Being a Hobo

A hobo is a migrating worker who chases any honest dollar he can find.

In 1889 at a national hobo convention the following ethical code was established for all hoboes to follow:

• Decide your own life; don’t let another person run or rule you.
• When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
• Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
• Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
• When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
• Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos.
• When jungling (hobo slang describing a makeshift hobo settlement) in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you.
• Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
• If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
• Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
• When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
• Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
• Do not allow other hobos to molest children; expose all molesters to authorities…they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
• Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
• Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.